Discover the world of model railway hobbies with "The Backshop Clinic" from Trainmasters TV from the USA! Packed with tips and tricks to improve your model railway layout. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced hobbyist, this series offers inspiration and practical advice. Grab your tools and unleash your creativity! Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV
From 22/02: every week a new season!

The ‘Backshop Clinic’- Model railroad tutorials-cover.jpg

The ‘Backshop Clinic’- Model railroad tutorials

Season 2013

In the first half of Act II on the November 2013 edition of TrainMasters TV, Backshop Clinic host Clark Kooning asks our guest "What's in your toolbox?" Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

What's in your toolbox?

Soldering. Sooner or later we all have to do it, and learning the techniques can seem daunting. Roger Chrysler visits The Backshop Clinic to give us some tips on using a traditional soldering iron as well as a resistance-soldering tool. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Soldering a brass kit

Season 2014 - Part 1

Tools and Materials. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

 Painting backdrops, part 1

Painting clouds. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

 Painting backdrops, part 2

Painting hills. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

 Painting backdrops, part 3

Painting trees. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

 Painting backdrops, part 4

Backshop Clinic guest Bruce Wilson talks with Lionel Strang about simple freight car kits and assembles an Athearn Blue-Box "shake-the-box" model. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Building Athearn "Blue-Box" style kits

Bruce Wilson shows us basic "fleet" weathering techniques to make your cars look like they've been earning their keep. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Easy "fleet" weathering

Season 2014 - Part 2

In this segment, get introduced to extreme freight car weathering with Ralph Renzetti. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Intro to extreme weathering

In this four-part bonus Backshop Clinic, we follow Ralph Renzetti's techniques for weathering rolling stock. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Extreme weathering, part 1

Here in part 2, Ralph demonstrates his techniques for creating rust patches and streaks, and he paints the wheels and truck sideframes. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Extreme weathering, part 2

In this segment Ralph demonstrates his preparations for adding road grime and rust to a locomotive. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Extreme weathering, part 3

In this segment Ralph finishes the process of applying some extreme weathering to a locomotive. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Extreme weathering, part 4

Miles Hale brings his laptop into The Backshop Clinic studio to show Lionel Strang some tips for using graphics software for structures. He'll demonstrate techniques for using Photoshop to create model signs from photos, and offer tips for using Model Builder software to design photo-realistic building wraps. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Computer graphics for structures

Welcome to "Switchman's Class". Miles Hale visits The Backshop Clinic to teach Lionel Strang about yard-crew hand signals and suggests ways that these signals can be integrated into model railroad operating sessions. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Switchman's class

Modeler John Lowrance demonstrates simple tips for scratch-building a trackside shed in wood, board by board, in "The Backshop Clinic". Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Easy structure scratchbuilding

Miles Hale brought some of his favorite tools to The Backshop Clinic to show us what they can do. And yes, despite Lionel's best efforts, Miles was able to leave with everything that he brought! Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Cool tools

Miles Hale returns to The Backshop Clinic with his toolbox to share useful tips on soldering with Lionel Strang. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Soldering tips

Season 2015

Modeler John Lowrance shows us a quick process for creating the illusion of individual panels on flat corrugated plastic. This is a creative technique that can be applied to structures, flat car decks, and wood walls. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

 Quick tin roof

Trevor Marshall hosts, as finescale modeler Don Railton visits The Backshop Clinic to discuss techniques for creating his amazingly-detailed structure models in several scales. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Super-detailed structures

Miles Hale makes a big splash in the latest Backshop Clinic as he demonstrates four products for creating water effects on your layout. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Creating water effects

In his third visit to The Backshop Clinic, modeler Don Railton shares a variety of his secrets for creating his realistic fine-scale structure models. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Fine-scale structure modeling tricks

Season 2016 - Part 1

In a three-part Backshop Clinic series, Miles Hale demonstrates classic techniques for casting and painting rock, including instructions for making your own latex moulds. In part one he discusses commercial molds and pouring plaster. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Modeling rockwork - Part 1

In part two he demonstrates how to cast plaster directly onto the layout, and shows a fast and simple technique for coloring the rock. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Modeling rockwork - Part 2

If you’ve wanted to tackle making your own moulds, you’ll see how easy it is in this final segment. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Modeling rockwork - Part 3

Dead Rail or “Cold Rail”, wireless control and battery power for locomotives is new territory for many of us in the model railroad hobby. This month in The Backshop Clinic, Miles Hale shows off a loco project that uses a Deltang receiver and a battery. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Wireless dead rail loco control

Wendy Hamilton from Model Builders Supply visits the TrainMasters TV studio to introduce Lionel to MBS tree-building supplies and to discuss the era of disco music. FREE to view for all. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Making trees with Model Builders Supply

The Stanton S-Cab is one option for modelers who want to break away from traditional methods of powering locomotives and try wireless battery power. Miles Hale shows how he installed the system in his engines and discusses some ways in which he deviated from the manufacturer’s recommendations to make it work for his particular situation. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

S-cab wireless battery power system

Trees. If you need one, you’ll probably need a hundred. You’ll need to find a way to represent different species too. In this segment, Miles Hale shares a variety of products and methods for replicating trees. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Making all kinds of model trees

Season 2016 - Part 2

The Backshop Clinic Live! is a TMTV series featuring presentations recorded at model train shows. In this segment, Rick Hunter from Hunterline discusses their line of N/HO/S/O-scale bridge kits. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Hunterline bridge kits

Wendy Hamilton from Model Builders Supply returns to the TrainMasters TV studio with her green thumb to do some gardening with Lionel. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Modeling flowering gardens

Pierre Oliver demonstrates the basics of constructing a #6 turnout using Fast Tracks fixtures and tools. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Hand-laying with Fast Tracks fixture - Part 1

A TrainMasters viewer emailed us requesting a video segment on lubricating locomotives. Pierre Oliver was a guest in the studio that day, so we placed some locos on the table and challenged him to take them apart and grease ‘em. He’s such a good sport! Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Locomotive lubrication

In a follow-up to his September 2016 clinic, Pierre Oliver demonstrates building a #10 curved turnout using Fast Tracks lasercut TwistTies. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Hand-laying curved turnouts with Fast Tracks. -Part 2

David Woodhead has been a fan of narrow-gauge railroads for over 50 years. His 3’ X 4’ North Hastings Feldspar Company display layout features two-foot and three-foot gauge equipment. He discusses his fascination with the slim gauges, and shares some of his modelling philosophy and techniques. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Narrow gauge niche (2016)

Even a small diorama layout can provide enough scenic challenges to keep a builder busy. David Woodhead discusses the construction of his table-top model from foam, to ground cover, to foliage. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Dave's diorama

Wendy Hamilton discusses using patterned sheets from Model Builders Supply for a variety of large-scale projects. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Modeling with patterned sheets

Season 2017

As a fan of Eastern U.S. narrow gauge, David Woodhead models a niche within a niche. We wrap up this series of clinics on slim-gauge modeling with a discussion of “informed freelancing”. What does it take to build a credible roster of locomotives and rolling stock for a railroad that never existed? It requires more thought and research than one might think. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Narrow gauge niche (2017)

Miles Hale discusses the hows and whys of retaining walls, with tips for using products made from plaster and vinyl. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Modeling retaining walls

Recently, Model Railroad Hobbyist editor Joe Fugate announced that he is dismantling his HO-scale Southern Pacific Siskiyou Line. He visits The Backshop Clinic to discuss the lessons learned in 25 years of building a basement-sized railroad - the good, the bad and the ugly. He’ll also give us a sneak peek at his plans for the new Siskiyou Line 2. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Siskiyou Line lessons learned

LEDs have been available to hobbyists for 40 years, but recent innovations have seen them used more commonly in everything from locomotive ditch lights to layout lighting. There isn’t much about them that’s complicated and as Miles Hale shows us, a little bit of experimenting can help make you more comfortable with using them for a variety of projects. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Experimenting with LEDs

Joe Fugate returns to The Backshop Clinic to talk about his new book, Make It Run Like a Dream - Trackwork. In this segment he focuses on standards for curvature and turnouts as two considerations for getting more reliable operation out of your layout. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Make it Run Like a Dream- Trackwork

Joe Fugate returns to The Backshop Clinic to discuss tips for getting better performance out of rolling stock from the second book in his Make it Run Like a Dream series. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Make it Run Like a Dream- Rolling stock

David Woodhead and host Rick Green take a trip back in time to review kit examples from days gone by. Be warned, you might be inspired to pick up some of those musty, dusty boxes you come across at swap meets! Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

A look back at vintage kits

Miles Hale brings an arsenal of glues, solvents and other adhesives to The Backshop Clinic to discuss their properties and uses. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Glues, solvents, and other adhesives

Not every weathered freight car needs to be a “rust bucket”. Model Railroad Hobbyist editor Joe Fugate drops by the studio to demonstrate simple techniques for “minimalist" weathering of rolling stock. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Minimalist weathering

Miles Hale shows us how he uses Model Builder Software to design and print his own custom flats and background buildings. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Making structures using a computer

Photo manipulation software is a handy tool for creating background flats from photographs. Miles Hale gives us a starter tutorial on using Photoshop Elements to edit photos used to make models. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Photo manipulation and structures

So, you want to buy a 3D printer. Hold up there, boss! First you’ll need to know how to create virtual models for the objects that you want to print. Miles Hale is here to give you an introduction to SketchUp, a free software program for 3D modeling. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

A SketchUp 3D drawing primer

Learn the basics of creating your very own 3D models with SketchUp! Miles Hale is here to demonstrate the exciting new features of SketchUp Make - a free software program for creating models in 3D. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

SketchUp revisited

Season 2018

Car cards. You’ve seen them hanging around on the edge of layouts all over the place, but what are they actually for? Joe Fugate introduces us to his system of managing freight car movements and the software he uses to generate the cards. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Using car cards for car routing

Ballasting turnouts can be sticky business. How many times have you tried to carefully add glue around the points, only to find them stuck shut the next day? Joe Fugate has a system for doing the job without the frustration of gumming things up. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

A better way to ballast turnouts

Joe Fugate shows us how he hides electrical feeders - while keeping them easy to find for troubleshooting. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Hiding electrical feeders

For 40 years, one man and his wife have been making your model railroad look amazing. Bob Lunde has designed hundreds of structure kits that have made an appearance on almost every layout in North America. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Who is Bob Lunde?

The Backshop Clinic Live! is a TMTV series featuring presentations recorded at model train shows. In this segment, modeler Robin Talukdar shows off construction techniques for benchwork from his Pine Street Spur layout. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Pine Street Spur benchwork

For more than 70 years, railroad modelers have been developing clever ways to create terrain for their layouts. Miles and Fran Hale revisit time-tested techniques for creating hardshell scenery. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

70 years of hardshell

Season 2019

In part 1 of this series, Jeff Young discusses the characteristics of styrene and using it to create beautiful models of just about anything. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Styrene fabrication - Part 1

In part 2 of this series, he demonstrates tools and techniques. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Styrene fabrication - Part 2

Fasteners hold the world together. In the first of a two-part clinic, Miles Hale looks at nails, spikes and pins. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

 Fasteners for modelers - Part 1

Fasteners hold the world together. Miles Hale delves into all manner of screws, nuts and bolts. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

 Fasteners for modelers - Part 2

Miles Hale introduces the basics of making molds for casting your own parts. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Casting parts with molds - Part 1

Miles Hale expands on the basics of casting resin and plaster parts in molds. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Casting parts with molds - Part 2

Brass isn't a precious metal, but you can use it to make something precious. Jeff Young shows us the tools and techniques he uses, and Rick burns his fingers. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Working with brass - Part 1

Jeff Young continues to show us the tools and techniques he uses to make working with brass easier. Part 2 of 2. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Working with brass - Part 2

In the 1st part of a 4-part series, Rick and Gerry Cornwell discuss the finer points of modeling with scale lumber. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Working with wood - Part 1

Wood is a classic building material for model railroad structures and rolling stock. In this series, Gerry Cornwell from Mt. Albert Scale Lumber discusses the tools and techniques required to create contest-winning models. In the 2nd segment of this 4-part series, Gerry Cornwell and TMTV host Rick Green discuss the finer points of modeling with scale lumber, and highlight dealing with knots and nailholes. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Working with wood - Part 2

Wood is a classic building material for model railroad structures and rolling stock. In this series, Gerry Cornwell from Mt. Albert Scale Lumber discusses the tools and techniques for creating contest-winning models. Gerry demonstrates coloring wood with Hunterline stains and Pan Pastels in Part 3 of 4. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Working with wood - Part 3

Wood is a classic building material for model railroad structures and rolling stock. In this series, Gerry Cornwell from Mt. Albert Scale Lumber discusses the tools and techniques for creating contest-winning models. In part 4, Gerry demonstrates paint effects, cutting, sanding and adhesives. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Working with wood - Part 4

Season 2020

Its show-and-tell day on The Backshop Clinic. Miles and Rick bring out the projects, tools and supplies that have recently crossed their workbenches. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Show-and-Tell - Part 1

It's Show-and-Tell day part 2 of 2 on The Backshop Clinic. Miles and Rick bring out the projects, tools and supplies that have recently crossed their workbenches. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Show-and-Tell - Part 2

It's Show-and-Tell day on The Backshop Clinic. Miles and Rick bring out the projects, tools and supplies that have recently crossed their workbenches. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Show-and-Tell - Part 3

Fine-scale modeler Craig Parry demos his unique sign-making trick for transferring artwork to buildings, rolling stock and windows. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Creating Signs

Let's rust that corrugated tin! Finescale modeler Craig Parry shows us how he rolls his own corrugated tin panels, then adds distress & weathering. Here is an HO version on Shapeways: https://www.shapeways.com/product/2D2MJZ8WC/corrugated-sheet-die-1-87-ver4 Here is an N scale version on Shapeways: https://www.shapeways.com/product/5YJFHCTAH/corrugated-sheet-die-1-160-v3 Here is an O scale version on Shapeways: https://www.shapeways.com/product/ZWAMZLEYV/corrugated-sheet-die-1-48-v3 Also see this note about making die handles: https://www.micromimesis.com/forums/topic/die-handles/ Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Roll your own corrugated panels

The NMRA gauge is a lot more than just wheels, track, and couplers, it's also loaded with ten different clearance dimensions. On top of that, the classic clearance gauge only covers 1920-1969. If you model outside of this era and rely on the classic gauge, you may have problems. Joe Fugate does a deep-dive into getting optimum clearances for a layout modeling any era. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

 Clearances for all eras in N, HO, and O

Hobby "paperwork" often gets a bad rap, but in this episode Miles Hale focuses more on the fun side of paperwork for the hobby. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

Hobby paperwork fun

Joe Fugate shares his method of making your own ballast for any scale and in any color. For more, including a shopping list of the items Joe uses, see the December 2020 issue of Model Railroad Hobbyist. The magazine is free and Joe goes into even more depth in the cover story. Credits: MRH Magazine / Trainmasters TV

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